Bellator 297 Main Event Breakdown

Thus, it’s fitting that Bellator MMA’s one and only event for the month of June finds the promotion in The Windy City and Wintrust Arena. Friday night, Scott Coker brings two belts with him to the venue for Bellator 297.

As always, the night’s itinerary kicks off with the prelims at 6 pm ET/ 3 pm PT on YouTube. Main card action begins at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT on Showtime.

Right after the Bellator MMA Bantamweight Championship is awarded in the Bellator 297 co-main event, the title fight doubleheader concludes with the battle for supremacy at 205 lbs in the Bellator 297 main event.

We flyin’ high in the Windy City! 🏙️

Bellator fighters had the best view of Chicago from the world famous @SkydeckChicago.

Who’s ready for #Bellator297 this Friday at @WintrustArena? ✋ pic.twitter.com/7ThPqYnkLb

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 15, 2023

Light Heavyweight Championship on the Line in Bellator 297 Main Event

Incumbent Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion (and No. 2 pound-for-pound contender) Vadim Nemkov (16-2, 1 NC MMA, 8-0, 1 NC Bellator) defends his strap against challenger (and No. 3 contender) Yoel Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 Bellator.) Like all championship bouts, the Bellator 297 main event will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close out the slate.

Bellator 297 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the Bellator 297 main event on Friday evening, both the champion and the challenger stand level in height at six feet even. Nemkov owns a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage (76 inches even to 73 1/2 inches) over Romero.

As of Wednesday night, the oddsmakers currently have Vadim Nemkov installed as a -500 favorite, with Yoel Romero countering as a +246 underdog on the money line. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Nemkov Finds Big Name in Romero for Bellator 297 Main Event

Champion Vadim Nemkov enters the Bellator 297 main event having posted a record of 4-0 with one no-contest in his last five fights. Last time out, he scored a unanimous decision victory against Corey Anderson (16-6, 1 NC MMA, 3-1, 1 NC Bellator) in the Bellator 288 main event on Nov. 18.

A few weeks ago, Nemkov was interviewed regarding his next opponent. He’s treating Romero just like any other adversary in the cage.

“I took this fight because he’s a huge star of MMA,” Nemkov said of Romero. “He’s got a good history, he’s got legacy. But he didn’t win over anyone in the Top 5 or Top 10. That’s because of his history. He’s very popular, he’s a star of MMA. That’s why he got the fight with me.”

In this clash of the stars, will Nemkov’s shine brightest? Watch the Bellator 297 main event and find out.

Yoel Romero Seeks to Win Championship at Age 46

In the other corner, Yoel Romero has gone 2-3 in his last five bouts. Currently, he’s on a two-fight winning streak.

Most recently, he scored a third-round knockout (elbows) of Melvin Manhoef  (32-17-1, 2 NC MMA, 4-5, 1 NC Bellator) back in September of last year during Bellator 285. Manhoef  retired after the fight, only to return for one more fight in December, but Romero has no plans to call it a career in the immediate future.

Last year, he revealed his intentions to remain in the sport beyond his 50th birthday.

“I want to pass Bernard Hopkins,” Romero mentioned. “I want to pass him. I want to make it to 51, 52 years old- that’s the goal that I have.”

Romero is a decorated freestyle wrestler, but he’s never won an MMA championship. Does that change for him at 46 years old?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the Bellator 297 main event looks to be a wrestling match. Vadim Nemkov is a Combat Sambo fighter, while Yoel Romero is a freestyle Olympian.

Nemkov Adept with Submissions

Given Vadim Nemkov’s wrestling background, it’s a foregone conclusion that Friday’s main event could be a ground battle at any given moment. If that happens, look for him to lock up a submission, like he did versus Rafael Carvalho in 2019 in Milan.

During the second round of the bout, Nemkov landed a punch to Carvalho’s head. He repeatedly scored with leg kicks, wobbling Carvalho.

Upon taking his opponent down, Nemkov secured mount and eventually transitioned to half guard. From there, his ground game told the story. Everything Rafael Carvalho tried, nothing worked.

Nemkov locked in a rear-naked choke with under a minute to go in the round. If Vadim Nemkov takes Yoel Romero down once, the  Bellator 297 main event will be his.

Yoel Romero Can End the Fight Quickly

In the other corner, Yoel Romero can write a period to the story in a hurry, like he did against Clifford Starks in his UFC promotional debut. At the start of the fight, Romero stalked his adversary as he waited to land the first big shot.

While Starks got in a few blows, Romero grabbed the momentum by landing a hook kick less than a minute in. Upon landing a leg kick, Romero moved in and knocked Starks to the mat with a flying knee. A short burst of ground and pound ended the knockout.

As long as Yoel Romero lands the flying knee, he’ll win an MMA championship for the first time in his life.

Final Thoughts

This is what championship fights are made of. In one corner, you’ve got a fighter just reaching his athletic prime in Nemkov. On the other side of the cage, Romero tries to win a belt for the first time ever.

This one should be fun to watch.

Prediction: Vadim Nemkov by Unanimous Decision.